Evangelization and Mission Commission 2013-2019

The recent General Chapter has challenged us, once again, to witness by our community life to live according to how we identify ourselves through our Order documents. In the light of Pope Francis letter to the Prior General we are called upon again to - "Be missionaries of God's love and tenderness! Be missionaries of God's mercy, which always forgives us, always awaits us and loves us dearly." Evangelisation is not a particular aspect of the Church's mission, but rather it is its mission. It is by Jesus' mission that the Church and the Order live in today's world. "Let our mission....be one that both evangelises and is evangelised within the Church for those who have lost their way" (Con. 99). The work entrusted to the commission for Evangelization and Mission will be to explore our charism within a contemporary context, through reflection on how Carmel's mission can be renewed from the perspectives of spirituality, prayer, liturgy.... In fact, called to see that all of our ministry is evangelisation, if it is founded on the pon­dering of the Word, community discernment and service - that draws people closer to Christ.

As Carmelites We live our life of allegiance to Jesus Christ and to serve Him faithfully with a pure heart and a clear conscience through a commitment to seek the face of the living God (the contemplative dimension of life), through prayer, through fraternity, and through service (diakonia). These three fundamental elements of the charism are not distinct and unrelated values, but closely interwoven.

All of these we live under the protection, inspiration and guidance of Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whom we honor as "our Mother and sister."